Groups

Groups

Social Facilitation

In some circumstances, individuals perform better when other
people are present. This phenomenon is called social
facilitation. Social facilitation is more likely to occur on easy
tasks. On difficult tasks, people are likely to perform worse in the
presence of others.

Group Decision-Making

Members of a group are often required to make decisions together. Three
concepts related to group decision-making are groupthink, group polarization,
and minority influence.

Groupthink

Groupthink is the tendency for a close-knit group to
emphasize consensus at the expense of critical thinking and rational
decision-making. In a groupthink situation, group members squash dissent,
exert pressure to conform, suppress information from outside the group, and
focus selectively on information that agrees with the group’s point of view.

Groupthink is more likely to occur when groups have certain
characteristics:

High cohesiveness. Group cohesiveness is the strength
of the liking and commitment group members have toward each other and to
the group.

Isolation from outside influences

A strong leader

The intent to reach a major decision

Group Polarization

The dominant point of view in a group often tends to be
strengthened to a more extreme position after a group discussion, a
phenomenon called group polarization. When a group
starts out with a dominant view that is relatively risky, the group
is likely to come to a consensus that is even riskier. This
phenomenon is called risky shift
.

Minority Influence

A committed minority viewpoint can change the majority
opinion in a group. Group members are more likely to be influenced by a
minority opinion when the minority holds the opinion firmly.

Deindividuation

When people are in a large group that makes them
feel aroused and anonymous, they may experience
deindividuation. When people become
deindividuated, they lose their inhibitions and their sense
of responsibility and are not self-conscious about their
behavior. Deindividuation is a major reason for the violence
that sometimes happens in mobs.